Automatic photograph printing machine



AUTOMATIC PHOTOGRAPH PRINTING MACHINE Filed June 17, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOFQ QARSTEN H.B ARNSTORFF ATTOREY c. H. EARNSTQRFF ggmcw AUTOMATIC PHOTOGRAPH PRINTING MACHINE I Filed June 1'7, 1931 5 Shets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR QARsTEm H. BARNSTORFF ATTORNEY 9 195350 c. H. EARNSTORFF fi p AUTOMATIC PHOTOGRAPH PRINTING MACHINE Filed June 17, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 I INVENTOR QMs-rem H. BARNSTQR FF ATTORNEY .aqx L i Q a,

9 c. H. QAFJNsAQRFL AUTOMATIC PHOTOGRAPH PRINTING MACHINE Filed June 17, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR QARM'EM H. BARNSTORFF WM? lwwfwm/ ATTO RNEY Patented Oct. 8, 1935 UNITED STATES BATENT QFFICE AUTOMATIC PHOTOGRAPH PRINTING MACHINE 1'? Claims.

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It is an object of the present invention to overcome the foregoing disadvantages of prior known machines by the provision of an automatic photograph printing machine which is relatively simple and substmtial in construction, which is easily operated by inexperienced operators and which is rapid and efficient in service.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an automatic photograph printing machine having an enlarging device so that the printing machine can be adapted to printing enlargements.

Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic photograph printing machine wherein the movable mechanism is rugged, simple and effective and which will function with little care to render years of service. v

Another object of the invention is to provide a photograph printing machine wherein improved means are provided for holding the printing negative flat so that clear and sharp prints will be secured.

Another object of the invention is to provide a photograph printing machine wherein the platen serving to press the printing paper against the light box and negative, will press the paper thereagainst in such a manner that no air bubbles will come between the adjacent surafces, thus insuring better and clearer prints.

Another object of the invention is to provide a photograph printing machine which is truly automatic in that the operator after once supplying the machine with printing paper and adjusting and starting the machine into operation, can go about his business until the machine requires more printing paper. This is accomplished by automatically feeding the paper and by auto-matically removing the paper after printing.

Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic photograph printing machine with a movable platen adapted to initially pick up a sheet of paper, carry the sheet of paper to a light box for printing, which platen thereafter discharges the printed paper and then picks up another sheet to duplicate the operation. By this construction the various elements required are much simplified and a rugged machine is provided which seldom breaks down.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. l is a side elevation of the automatic photograph printing machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, from another direction, of the printing machine;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the printing machine;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view, on a larger scale of the means. provided in the machine for raising and lowering the platen carrying shaft with the cover removed from the casing so that the details of the mechanism are more clearly discernible;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional View taken on line V-V of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a view, on a larger scale, of a housing adapted to support and rotate the platen carrying shaft;

Fig. '7 is a diagrammatic development of the camway of the housing shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation, on a larger scale, of one of the platens incorporated in the machine;

Fig. 9 is a plan view, on a larger scale, of the negative-securing means employed in the machine;

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the negative-securing means illustrated in Fig. 9, with the various parts shown in a detached position; and

'Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic wiring diagram of the electrical connections embodied in the machine.

The printing machine comprising the invention consists of a frame or table it provided with a top it and a shelf ll. 4 of the table I5 is a housing it which serves to journal a hollow shaft l9, to the upper end of which is secured a pair of oppositely extending arms 20. The arms 2% are adapted to carry platens 2|, which are secured thereto, by a com- 40 paratively tight swivel connection, indicated at 22. The platens it, as indicated in Fig. 8, are formed with resilient face 23, such as sponge rubher or the like, which face is crowned in the middle, tapering gently to the four sides, as indicated in the drawings. By making the center of the face 23 somewhat higher than the remaining portions of the face, and tapering the crowned or raised portion to the edges of the face, the platen, when contacting with the printing paper, will do so initially in the center and after the platen is pressed down upon the paper it will contact from the center of the platen outwardly until the entire contact is made. In this manner all air bubbles, wrinkles or the like will be removed from Mounted upon the top it 35 between the platen and the paper, and also from between the paper and the surface against which it is pressed, thus insuring sharp and accurate lines on all prints.

The platen 2| is constructed so that either suction or air under pressure may be supplied to the face thereof, and to this end is formed with a hollow cavity 24 which is connected by suitable holes 25 with the surface of the face of the platen. Air under suction or pressure is supplied to the hollow cavity 24 by means of the conduit 25, as will be more fully explained hereinafter.

The housing I8 is formed with a camway 39, such as indicated in Figs. 6 and '7, which camway is adapted to slidably receive a cam roller SI journaled to the shaft Iii. The shaft I9 is adapted to be rociprocated up down by any suitable mechanism, such as indicated at 32.

The mechanism for reciprocating the shaft I9 up and down may comprise a housing 33 upon which is mounted a suitable electric motor 3 1. The motor 3d serves to drive a worm 35 which in turn engages a worm gear 36 journaled on a shaft 31 fixed in the housing. The worm gear 36 is provided with a cam roller 38 which cooperates with a camway 39 formed in a lever arm 40 pivotally secured to the casing 33, as at II. The arm 40 is secured to a link 45 which extends slidably through a suitable opening 45 in the casing 33 and is connected to the shaft I9 through the agency of a fork 41 which is swivelly mounted in the lower end of the shaft I9 by suitable ball bearing means 48. The pin and slot connection 50 is made between the arm 40 and link 45, as the arm 40 has a rotating movement while the link 45 has a sliding move ment.

The housing 33 will also serve to support a pair of two-way air valves 6|, which are adapted to supply either suction or pressure to the chambers 24 of the platens 2I. To this end, air under pressur is supplied to the valves by a conduit 62 and suction is provided by conduit 63. From the valves BI flexible conduits M extend up to suitable openings in the bottom of the shaft I9, from which the conduits extend up through the shaft and down the arms 29 to the platens. In order that the shaft I9 may be reciprocated up and down without breaking the flexible conduit 64, suflicient slack is provided therein which may be retained in position by a spring 65.

To synchronize the operation of the air valves 5! with the reciprocation of the shaft I9, the worm gear 35 is formed with a spur gear ii] which engages with a gear II secured to a shaft I2 journaled in the housing 33. A cam M is mounted upon the end of the shaft l2 and cooperates with a lever I5 pivotally mounted upon the housing 33, which lever contacts with plungers I8 controlling the valves 6|.

Suitable means are provided upon the top 16 of the table for containing and feeding the paper to be printed, which means may take the form of a box secured in a suitable opening in the top Is of the table. The bottom 8| of the box 80 makes a sliding fit in the box and is mounted upon a plunger 82 which is slidably carried in a housing 83 secured to the framework of the table. A spring 84 is provided below the plunger 82 and which spring is of such strength that it will serve to raise the bottom SI of the box 8!) upwardly as the number of sheets of paper in the box decreases. so that the top sheet will be kept substantially at the same level, regardless of the number of sheets in the box. A conduit 85 connected to the source of air pressure is provided to continuously apply a jet of air to the few top sheets in the box 89 to prevent the platen from picking up more than one sheet at a time.

The printing machine comprising the present invention is adapted to be used with either direct contact printing employing a light box or it can be used with an enlarging machine. To this end, a pair of doors 99 and ill are provided which are hinged on suitable brackets 92 secured to opposite legs of the table i5. Both of the doors and 9| are provided with latching means 93 whereby the doors may be fastened in position and swung into place. It will be understood that either one or the other of the doors 90 and 9| is in place to form the side of the table and that the other will be swung around to be out of the way far as possible.

In the drawings the door 9| is shown in place, which door carries a light box Hit) containing a plurality of light bulbs I II and which are disposed in spaced relation therein. There may be any number of bulbs IOI but they are preferably over twenty so as to insure positive printing with accurate control. The box Ill!) is split on a line indicated at I02, the upper half I03 of the box If) being secured in a suitable opening in the top iii of the table. The top of the upper half I03 of the box Ice is closed or covered by a piece of plate glass I 34, upon which the negative, pref erably of the film type, is adapted to be placed.

The invention contemplates the provision of improved means for securing the negative in position on the plate glass Hi4, which means may take the form of a sheet metal frame III) (see Figs. 9 and 10), and metal strips III which are adapted to cooperate with pins H2 and portions H3, which portions are provided with thumb screws 5M, thus serving to hold the negative firmly in place. As illustrated in Fig. 10, the metal strips I II and the frame II E1 are formed on a bowed or curved line so that when the negative is clamped in place thereby the pressure exerted upon the negative will be initially applied at the center and will extend gradually there from out to the edges, thus serving to flatten the negative properly into position without entrapping air or making wrinkles.

The door iii also serves to I25! and a rheostat I21, all of which are connected by suitable electric conduits, as indicated in the wiring diagram shown in Fig. 11. The bulbs ill! in the light box ID!) are adapted to be lighted only when the platens are in the printing position, and for this purpose a contact switch M24 is secured to the housing 33, the plunger I25 carry a switchbox of this switch being adapted to be depressed by an angle I26 secured to the fork 41 of the shaft I9. It may be desirable in adjusting the bulbs iiii initially to provide a hand switch I21, which shunts the switch I24.

The door 9!! carries the enlarging mechanism which comprises an enlarging camera I 30 of standard design which is mounted in a suitable opening 129 formed in the door 90. The camera we is slidably mounted upon a pair of rods I31, the ends of which are secured in slide blocks I32 carried in grooves I 33 formed in the sides of the opening H9 in the door 90. The slide blocks I32 are formed with bosses I35 which serve to journal a threaded rod I35 threaded through a lug I3! mounted upon the camera I30. The rod IE3 is provided with a handle I38 whereby it may be rotated to move the camera back and forth upon the rods I3I, due to the threaded engage-- ment of the rod I36 with the lug I31 on the camera. One of the slide blocks I32 is also provided with an additional boss I40 adapted to receive a threaded rod MI, the ends of which are journaled in suitable bearings I42 secured to the door 90. The threaded rod I4! is provided with an operating handle I43 whereby the rod may be rotated to move the slide blocks I32 and thus the camera I30 up and down in the opening I29 in the door 90. It will thus be seen that the camera I30. can be adjusted to any position in the opening I29 in the door 90.

When it is desired to print enlargements upon the machine, the door 9| will be swung out of position, carrying with it the light box I00, the rheostat I2I and the switch box I20, whereupon the door 90 can be swung into position so that the lens I50 of the enlarging camera I30 will come substantially under the center of the upper half I03 of the light box I00, which portion of the box is secured to the top I6 of the table I5. Inasmuch as the lens I50 of the enlarging camera is provided with a prism I5I, the rays of light from the enlarging camera will be turned up against the plate glass I04.

A pair of containers I60 are provided upon the top I6 of the table I5 and serve to receive the printed paper after it has been printed and discharged by the platens. The operation of the machine is as follows:

Assuming. the printing machine is to be used for contact prints, the door BI is swung into position and secured by the latches 93, and the door 00 is swung back out of the way. A quantity of paper is then placed in the box and a negative is secured over the plate glass I04 through the agency of the frame H0 and the means associated therewith. The bulbs I0 I in the light box I00 are switched on by the operator, which may be accomplished by closing the switch I21. The rheostat may now be adjusted to provide the desired strength to the printing light, which will be determinate upon the rapidity of the printing paper and upon the quality of the negative, after which one or more of the bulbs IOI may be switched off to give greater or less light in any particular area of the negative, whereby the best possible and most uniform prints may be obtained. After the strength and quality of the light in the light box has been obtained, the switch I2'I- is opened and the motor 34 is started. The arrangement of the cam I4 and the air valves BI is such that the platens will pick up a sheet of paper from the box 80 and will carry the sheet over and down against the plate glass I04, where the platen will remain for a slight dwell, at which time the printing operation takes place, inasmuch as the switch I24 has been closed by the angle I26 when the platen is in the lowermost a position.' It will be seen that the reciprocation of the shaft I9 by the mechanism 32 will also cause the oscillation of the arms 20', inasmuch as the cam roller 35, journaled upon the shaft I9, follows the path of the camway 30 in the housing I0, secured to the top It of the table I5.

Referring to Figs. i and 5, the dwell in the movement of the platen when in the printing and paper pick-up position, is occasioned by the fact that the camway 39 formed in the lever arm 40' is such that the cam roller 38 mounted upon the worm gear 36 will not move the shaft I9 when the roller 38 is following about the curved portion of the camway 30. It is only when the roller 38 contacts with the straight side of the camway 39. that the. shaft I9 will be raised and lowered vertically.

By this construction the platens 2| will give a compound oscillating: movement from the paper box to the printing box over the plate glass I04 and: will also give a reciprocating, up-and-down movement with a dwell at the lowermost point in the reciprocating movement. It will be understood that the cam roller 3| descends first in. one leg of the camway 30 and then in the other leg thereof, and that the high point in the camway, which might be termed a dead center, is passed, due to the centrifugal force imparted to the platens 2| and arms 20 in their initial movement. The arrangement of the valve BI with the cam '74 is such that the platens are provided with suction as they drop down to pick up the paper from the box 80, which suction is maintained therein to carry the paper over to the printing station and thereafter until the platen moves off the printing station and begins to move back to the paper pick-up station, at which time the suction upon the platen is changed to pressure, so that the printed paper is discharged in one of the boxes I60. The pressure upon the platen is immediately changed back to suction after the discharge of paper, and the platen is then moved down to pick up another sheet of paper, after which the operation is repeated.

As the stack of paper in the box 80,, diminishes, the spring 80 serves to force the bottom BI of the box 00 up to raise the paper therein so that the top sheet of paper in the box 80 is always maintained somewhere near the same level.

When the machine is to be used to print enlargements, the door SI will be unlatched and will be swung, together with the light box I00, rheostat Hi and switch box I20 back out of the way, and the door will be swung into position and latched. The lamp in the enlarging camera I30 is then lighted and the handles I43 and I38 are operated to properly center the enlarging camera and the negative carried thereby, so that the proper enlargement is obtained upon the plate glass I04.

The prism I55, of course, serves to change the direction of the light rays emerging from the camera. By moving the camera I30 completely to the top of the door 90, a relatively small enlargement or a print of the same size as the negative may be obtained and by moving the camera completely to the bottom of the door 90, a relatively large enlargement may be produced. It is also possible to adjust the enlarging camera I30 sidewise so that the enlargement will be printed only upon one corner of one-half of the paper carried by the platen. It will be understood that the operation of the machine with the enlarging camera in place of the light box I00 is exactly the same as that described above in regard to the contact printing, except that in this case the negative normally secured in place by the frame I 20 is not employed. The invention contemplates combining contact printing with printing by the enlarging camera, such as employing a negative over the plate glass I04 which would be held in place by the frame I it and which negative would serve to print the border of the completed print, or which might readily be adapted to Print any desired additional effect on the paper, such as a particular sky effect or the like, while the enlarging camera with the usual negative therein would serve to print the main ph desired.

By this combination it is possible to obtain numerous desirable the completed print.

While the invention has been described as employing a pair of platens, it will be apparent that only one arm and platen may be mounted upon the shaft l9 and which platen will function in the same manner as that in which it operates in the double platen machine. It will also be appreciated that various other means than the mechanism indicated at 32 can be employed to provide the shaft 19 with a reciprocating motion, with a dwell at the bottom of the reciprocating movement.

Positive means may be provided to move the paper in the box 80 up step by step, in order to keep the top sheet at the same level, if it is so desired.

The invention contemplates replacing the containers I60 with suitable chutes which would allow the printed paper to slide into the developing tank, thus eliminating another paper-handling operation. It is also within the province of the invention to change the suction in the platens to pressure during the printing operation so that the platen, in moving away from the printing position will leave the printed paper upon the plate glass, from which position it may be removed either by hand by the operator or by suitable pick-up mechanism well known in the printing art.

In making certain types of prints it may be found desirable to run the paper through the machine twice, which operation is very readily accomplished by the machine embodying the and practical effects upon present invention. Various desirable and novel effects may be obtained in this manner. For example, in its first passage through the machine a border can be printed through an appropriate frame or negative and in its second passage the picture proper can be printed.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that an automatic photograph printing machine has been provided which is entirely automatic in operation and which is rugged and foolproof. It may also be handled by a comparatively inexperienced operator. With the present machine a comparatively large number of prints may be made in a very short time, which prints are of a very high quality. An important feature of the present machine is the crowned platen, which serves to impress the paper to be printed upon the negative or plate glass in a smooth, flat condition, entirely free from air pockets or wrinkles, this insuring sharply outlined prints.

In accordance with the patent statutes, the best known embodiment of the invention has been described in detail. It will be understood that this description and the showing of the drawings is illustrative only and that the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.

1 What I claim is:

1. An automatic photograph printing machine including a printing station, means for supporting a pile of printing paper, a plurality of platens, means for moving the platens between the pile of paper and the printing station, means in said platen-moving means for causing a dwell in the movement thereof when at the printing station sociated with said platens to carry a sheet of paper therewith from the pile to the printing station.

2. An automatic photograph printing machine comprising a printing station, means supporting a pile of paper, a pair of platens, means for moving the platens alternately between the printing station and the pile of paper with a dwell of each platen when at the printing station, said platens being positioned so that when one of the platens is at the printing station the other will be at the paper pile, and means for automatically controlling the adhesion of the paper to the platens.

3. An automatic photograph printing machine comprising a printing station, means supporting a pile of paper, a pair of platens, means for moving the platens alternately between the printing station and the pile of paper with a dwell of each platen when at the printing station, said platens being positioned so that when one of the platens is at the printing station the other will be at the paper pile.

4. An automatic photograph printing machine including a printing station, means for supporting a pile of printing paper, a platen, means for moving the platen between the pile of paper and the printing station, said last-named means including a housing, a shaft secured to said platen and extending through the housing, said hous ing being formed with a. camway, a cam follower on the shaft cooperating with the camway and mechanism for reciprocating the shaft.

5. An automatic photograph printing machine including a printing station, means for supporting a pile of printing paper, a platen, means for moving the platen between the pile of paper and the printing station, said last-named means including a shaft secured to and supporting the platen and mechanism for simultaneously reciprocating and rotating the shaft.

6. In automatic photograph printing apparatus, a printing station, means including a normally bowed frame for holding a negative in a smooth, flat condition at the printing station, a supply of paper, a platen having a crowned, resilient surface, and means for moving the platen between the paper supply and the printing station.

7. In automatic photograph printing apparatus, a printing station, means including a normally bowed frame for holding a negative in a smooth, flat condition at the printing station, a supply of paper, a platen, and means for moving the platen between the paper supply and the printing station.

8. Automatic printing apparatus including a supply of paper, a printing station, an enlarging mechanism adjustably supported adjacent the printing station and adapted to print paper positioned at the printing station, a platen, and means for moving the platen between the supply of paper and the printing station, and means for controlling the adhesion of the paper to the platen.

9. Automatic photograph printing apparatus including a printing station, an enlarging mechanism adjustably supported adjacent the printing station and adapted to print paper positioned at the printing station, a platen, a paper supply and means for ,moving the platen to and from the printing station and the paper supply.

10. An automatic photograph printing ma-- chine including a supply of paper, a printing station, a light box removably supported below the printing station, means controlling the intensity of the light as a whole, means controlling the intensity of any portion of the light area, a platen, means for moving the platen between the supply of paper and the printing station, and means for controlling the adhesion of the paper to the platen.

11. An automatic photograph printing machine including a supply of paper, a printing station, a light box removably supported below the printing station, a platen, means for moving the platen between the supply of paper and the printing station, and means for controlling the adhesion of the paper to the platen.

12. In combination in photograph printing mechanism, a frame, means supporting a pile of paper on the frame, paper printing light means on the frame, a shaft, an arm on said shaft, a platen secured to said arm, means for reciprocating and oscillating said shaft to move the platen alternately between the pile of paper and the light means, with a dwell over the light means, means for automatically lighting the light means when the paper and platen are in the printing position, air means associated with the platen for holding a sheet of paper thereon, and means for automatically controlling the air means.

13. In combination in photograph printing mechanism, a frame, means supporting a pile of paper on the frame, paper printing light ,means on the frame, a shaft, an arm on said shaft, a platen secured to said arm, means for reciprocating and oscillating said shaft to move the platen alternately between the pile of paper and the light means.

14. In combination in photograph printing mechanism, a frame, means supporting a pile of paper on the frame, a paper printing light means on the frame, a shaft, an arm on said shaft, a platen secured to said arm, means for reciprocating and oscillating said shaft to move the platen alternately between the pile of paper and the light means, air means associated with the platen for holding a sheet of paper thereon and means for automatically controlling the air means.

15. In combination in photograph printing mechanism, a frame, means supporting a pile of paper on the frame, paper printing light means on the frame, a shaft, an arm on said shaft, a platen secured to said arm, means for reciprocating and oscillating said shaft to move the platen 5 alternately between the pile of paper and the light means, with a dwell over the light means, means for automatically lighting the light means when the paper and platen are in the printing position.

16. Automatic photograph printing apparatus including a frame, a printing station on the frame, a light box removably positioned below the station, an enlarging mechanism removably mounted on the frame and adapted to be moved below the printing station, said light box being positioned under the printing station for contact prints but being adapted to be moved out of the way to allow the enlarging mechanism to swing under the printing station to print enlargements, and a supply of paper on the frame and means for moving the paper from the supply to the printing station.

17. Photograph printing mechanism including a printing station, means for holding a negative flat and smooth at said printing station, a platen adapted to be moved toward and from the printing station, said platen having a definitely crowned, uniformly resilient sponge rubber surface provided with recesses adapted to be connected to sub-atmospheric pressure whereby the platen can be used to carry the paper to be printed with the crowned resilient surface of the platen serving to contact first with the center of the negative with the paper and thereafter gradually asserting pressure outwardly from the center to remove all air from between the paper and negative and under the negative.

CARSTEN H. BARNSTORFF. 

